An Afternoon of Quidditch
by LisaRene
Summary: Harry and Ginny must think quickly when they accidentally portkey to a professional Quidditch game.


_A/N: I wrote this for a fic challenge that had to involve a Portkey. I love this story, it may be my favorite one-shot that I've written. I have a soft spot for Colin, but he always seems to get the short end of the stick!_

Harry Potter sat at a table in the Gryffindor common room, hunched over his Potions essay. It was a gray Saturday morning, and he was hoping to finish quickly and get in some Quidditch practice before it started to rain. He heard footsteps on the girls' stairway and a moment later, Ginny Weasley dropped into the seat across from him.

"Hi Harry. Where's Ron and Hermione?" she asked.

"Library," he grunted, not looking up.

"Oh." Ginny began pulling homework from her bag and they fell into silence, quills scratching.

Suddenly, they heard a door slam and Colin Creevey came bursting down the stairs from the boys' dormitory. He stood in the middle of the room, looking around wildly.

"Oh no, oh no! Where is it! I'm going to miss it!" He ran over to Harry and Ginny's table. "Have you seen my camera bag? Only I was sure it was under my bed but it isn't and I've looked everywhere and I can't find it and I NEED IT RIGHT NOW!"

Harry and Ginny stared at him with wide eyes. They knew that Colin could be quite dramatic where his camera equipment was concerned, being the official student photographer for Hogwarts. They shook their heads apologetically, "No, we haven't…"

"Argh!" growled Colin. He turned and ran out of the portrait hole.

"Must be late for some big photo op," smiled Ginny.

"No doubt," said Harry. He shuffled his feet beneath the table and kicked something. Looking under, he saw the black camera bag with "CC" embroidered on the side.

"Colin!" he yelled, but it was too late. He held it up for Ginny to see. "It's right here."

"Oh, poor Colin. I'll take it to him," she said. Harry held it out for her, but at the precise moment that her hand touched the bag, the clock on the mantle struck eleven. She looked up at Harry in shock and saw that he was looking back at her with the same expression as they both felt a jerk behind their navels, their hands still clutching the bag's strap.

Cold air swirled around them as the common room disappeared. They grabbed frantically for each other and Ginny felt Harry's arm around her waist as they twisted and turned. After a few seconds, colors came once more into focus, and they found themselves standing in a small room with a low ceiling. There were a few benches scattered around, and the walls were lined with tall, wooden cabinets each with a small window cut in the shape of a double "C". The walls were painted in orange and were covered in Quidditch posters.

Harry, unaware that he was still holding onto Ginny, stared around. "Are we in a…. locker room?"

"Oh!" Ginny's eyes sparked with understanding. "Was that today!" Harry turned and gave her a quizzical look. Then, realizing that their faces were inches apart, he quickly released her, momentarily flustered.

"What's today?" he asked.

"I completely forgot. I overheard Colin mentioning it last week. As part of his Wizarding Photography class, he got special permission to go to a Chudley Cannons Quidditch match and be their team photographer for a day. It must be today! No wonder he was so frazzled. They must have made his camera bag into a portkey set to activate at eleven o'clock and bring him right here!"

Harry's embarrassment was replaced by mounting exhilaration as it dawned on him what Ginny had just said. "Do you mean to tell me… that I'm standing…in the CHUDLEY CANNONS LOCKER ROOM?"

An excited squeal escaped from Ginny. She and Harry had had their share of awkward moments together, he being the secret desire of her heart ever since she had met him four years before, she being the beautiful, feisty, but untouchable little sister of his best friend. But if there was one thing they were unequivocally not awkward about, it was their love of Quidditch.

"This is brilliant!" But Harry scarcely had time to take in the surroundings before they heard voices coming their way, approaching the door. He grabbed Ginny's arm and opened a nearby closet door.

"Hide quick!" he whispered, "Get in here."

"Why me?" she pouted.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Because it's a_ men's_ locker room!"

Ginny continued to protest, but Harry shut the door firmly and leaned against it, trying to look like he belonged there. Someone would be expecting Colin, after all, perhaps he could just play along.

The door swung open and seven young men filed into the room, followed by a harried-looking man that Harry knew to be the team's coach, Hugh McCloud. They looked strong and tough, their brows creased and eyes focused in preparation for the match. Harry knew the look well, he had worn it himself many times as Seeker for the Gryffindor house team. He was doing his best not to appear starstruck. A nice change actually, he thought. Usually it was he who was being ogled by fans. His eyes darted from one player to the next in recognition – there was Joey Jenkins, the famous Beater, and the Cannons' Seeker, Galvin Gudgeon. Harry had seen them many times on the posters that wallpapered Ron's bedroom at the Burrow. Some of the players' eyes flicked over Harry, but no one seemed to pay much attention to him until he saw an older man striding toward him, hand outstretched and a smile on his face.

"Hiya, you're Colin Creevey then?" he said, giving Harry a firm handshake and nodding toward the camera bag at his feet.

Harry took a deep breath, there was no backing out now. "Yes, I just portkeyed in from Hogwarts. Pleased to meet you."

"Ragmar Dorkins. I'm the manager of this lot over here," he said, looking over his shoulder at the team. "Great bunch of boys we've got there. Well, they play the hardest even if they are fifth in the league, eh?" He thumped Harry on the shoulder at this. Harry tried not to wince and gave a good-natured laugh instead. Although the Weasleys had been long-time Cannons fans, the team had not exactly earned respectable standings in recent years. Across the room he could see their newly-revised motto painted on the wall – _Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. _Dorkins' eyes narrowed as he considered Harry.

"You know, you look really familiar, like I should know you."

Harry swallowed hard. "Do I? Can't imagine why…"

Thankfully, Dorkins waved the comment away. "Anyway, Professor Lamberton tells me you're quite a photographer. Always happy to help out students from Hogwarts. Spent some of the best years of my life in that castle. Well, I expect you know what you're doin'. If you can just stay over here out of the way while we get suited up, then I'll take you up to the Cannons' box where you can have a good view."

"Thanks, I'll just get my stuff ready over here then." Harry breathed a sigh of relief as Dorkins returned to the team.

"So what are you going to do now, hotshot? Do you even know how to work a wizard camera?" Harry jumped, he had forgotten Ginny was right behind him.

"Not exactly," he whispered from the corner of his mouth. "I don't suppose you know how to work it?"

"Of course I do," Ginny hissed, "but you've conveniently managed to lock me in a closet!"

Harry knelt down and pretended to fumble in the camera bag while moving it closer to the closet door. He opened the latch, and the door swung open a crack.

"Show me what to do," he whispered to Ginny. She crouched on the floor of the closet, peeking through the crack into the camera bag.

"Okay, take the camera out. Yes, that silver box. Now see the dials on top? Set the left one to brightness, the middle one to how many seconds you want to record, and the right one is the button to take the picture. Now look at the lens on the front. Tap the green charm for close-ups, the blue charm for medium distance, and the red charm for zoom lens. And Harry, don't screw this up for Colin. This is important to him."

Harry smiled at her expertise. He might be a powerful wizard, but not having grown up in a wizarding household, he often found that the Weasleys were much more knowledgeable about everyday magical objects than he was. Another thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Ginny, do you think you could do a quick Obscuring Charm on my scar? I think that man almost recognized me. I don't want to cause a scene."

Ginny nodded. She took her wand from her pocket and touched it discretely to the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead, then whispered "Obscurate." The scar seemed to melt away, leaving his forehead smooth and fleshy. He reached up and ran his fingers over it.

"Thanks Gin, you're the best."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that's great. Now get me out of here! I want to see what's going on." But her next words took on a different tone as she breathed, "Ooo, like that!"

Harry turned and was faced with a room full of players in various states of undress, suiting up in their Quidditch uniforms. Understanding dawned on him, and he shuffled quickly in front of the closet door's carved window, blocking Ginny's view.

"I can still see, you know," Ginny whispered. He could hear the giggle in her voice.

"Then turn around!" he hissed.

"Fat chance."

Once the team was suited up, Harry fiddled with the camera and took a few shots of them getting a pre-match pep talk from the coach. When he saw them preparing to head out to the field, he whispered to Ginny, "Stay here until we've all left. Then sneak out to the hallway and wait for me. I'll come back and get you."

"Promise?"

"Yes, shh!"

Harry followed the team down the hall, bringing up the rear with Mr. Dorkins. After they'd walked for a bit, Harry stopped.

"Mr. Dorkins, could I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, son."

"Well, I've actually brought a friend with me, she's just waiting back in the corridor. Sorry I didn't mention it before, but I wasn't sure if she'd be allowed in the locker room. Do you think it would be alright if she came up to the box with us?" Harry noted Dorkins' furrowed brow. "She's actually from my photography class," he added in a low, conspiratorial voice. "She's a huge Cannons' fan. When she found out I was coming, she practically begged me to come along."

Dorkins' face relaxed. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint a fan. Tell her to come along then," he smiled.

Harry ran back and beckoned Ginny to come. "It's okay?" she mouthed.

"Yes, hurry up!" he mouthed back.

They left the rest of the team at the tunnel leading out to the pitch and followed Dorkins into the Apparation Lift that would transport them directly to the top box. When they arrived, their mouths dropped open. The "box" was a deluxe suite complete with plush orange armchairs, a flat-panel screen with a live Apparation feed of the match, and a banquet table set with a delicious-looking lunch spread. And, of course, an open balcony for a prime view of the match. They walked out to it and looked down onto the field. From the tunnel on the other side, they saw the navy blue robes of the visiting Puddlemere United team emerging, and the crowd gave a roar as the match began.

Ginny clutched Harry's arm and squealed. His wide grin matched hers.

"I can't believe it. What did you have to say to get me in?" Ginny asked.

Harry's grin turned mischievous. "I told him you begged me."

Ginny laughed out loud. "In your dreams, Potter."

They spent the next two hours yelling and whooping along with the crowd. Harry even managed, with Ginny's help, to snap some decent pictures as the Cannons soared through the air. They leaned against the balcony railing together, marveling at the speed of the team's Firebolt 2's, arguing the superiority of the Cannons' Beaters, and spotting the Snitch once or twice before it zipped out of the Seekers' grasps.

They heard a small pop to their left. An elf appeared and handed Mr. Dorkins a note. He excused himself saying he was needed down on the field but promised to return soon, leaving Harry and Ginny alone in the box. Ginny turned and surveyed their surroundings.

"Wow, top box and an afternoon of Quidditch with my favorite team and a gourmet lunch to boot. You sure know how to show a girl a good time," she grinned as she nudged Harry's arm.

He straightened up and smirked at her. "Yes, I'm impressive alright. You'll never have another date as good as this one."

"Well, if this is your idea of a date, you should take me out more often." She suppressed a giggle and turned back to the match.

Harry's voice softened. "I'm really having a good time with you, Gin."

She smiled back, regarding him for a moment. "Me too," she said finally.

A flash of gold glinted in the sun just in front of them. They turned in time to see Galvin Gudgeon swoop in to grab the Snitch right before their eyes, securing a narrow victory for the Cannons. The final score: Cannons 200, Puddlemere 170. Harry and Ginny took a moment to register what had just happened, then burst into wild screaming and applause.

After the stadium had all but emptied, Mr. Dorkins came back up to the box, followed by the Cannons for their after-match party. Harry and Ginny were introduced around, and Harry snapped as many pictures as he could of Ginny with the players. Just before three o'clock, Mr. Dorkins took them aside and thanked them for coming.

"Hope you had a good time." He gave them a warm smile. "You've got a few minutes before the portkey activates again to take you back, just make sure you're both holding onto it at three o'clock sharp."

"Oh, it was so brilliant! Thanks so much for letting me come along," Ginny gushed.

"Yes, thanks again, Mr. Dorkins, for all your help," Harry beamed. He turned to Ginny. "Ready?"

"Yep," she said, taking the camera bag strap in one hand and putting her arm around his waist with the other. In a moment, they were gone.


End file.
